adjective
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suffering from fever, esp a slight fever
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in a state of restless excitement
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of, relating to, caused by, or causing fever
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of feverish
First recorded in 1350–1400, feverish is from the Middle English word feverisch. See fever, -ish 1
Explanation
If you're feverish, your body temperature is higher than normal, usually because you're sick. Getting the flu makes most people feverish. Feeling feverish is sometimes the first sign that you're coming down with an illness. Feverish symptoms include aches and chills. Another way to be feverish is to be full of excitement or turmoil. A room full of wound-up kids at a birthday party often crackles with their feverish energy. In the 14th century, something feverish caused a fever — it wasn't until the 17th century that the word gained its current meanings.
Vocabulary lists containing feverish
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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The Suffix -ish, Part 3
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Kira-Kira
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Demand for the IPO shares was feverish on Wall Street despite concerns by critics that the company was overvalued and skepticism of a governance structure that puts no constraints on Musk.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
Investors are piling into stocks at a feverish pace.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
The market’s appetite for memory chip makers is feverish, but this subset of the semiconductor industry might be looking a bit too hot.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
His party Pheu Thai's insistence that from now on he will remain in the background could not stop feverish media speculation over what role he might still play in Thai politics.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
There was nothing feverish or urgent about this.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
